Page 60 of Heartless

“Just shy of twenty.”

“The fuck is wrong with these knuckleheads these days?”

“Oh, don’t tell me that you didn’t see a woman or two that was someone’s mother that you thought were fine.”

“Oh, I’m sure I did but I didn’t step to my boys about their moms. Had mad respect for them, and they had the same for me.”

“I can see that.”

I look her up and down.

“What?”

Shaking my head, I say, “Nothing.”

“No, it was something.”

“No. It wasn’t.”

“Nyx, you gave me the look.”

“What look?”

“Like you were checking me out.”

I shake my head and start chuckling. Holding my hands up, I reply, “Guilty as charged.”

“You were checking for me?” she asks, sounding pleased.

“Just assessing what the fellas said.”

“And?”

“I see what they see. You’re definitely MILF material.”

“All I’m missing is the baby.”

“You too?”

“Me too, what?” she asks, frowning.

“Trying to have a baby.”

“That’s somewhere down there on my bucket list. I mean, my biological clock is ticking, but I’m in no rush. If it happens, then it happens. If not, I’ll adopt. It’ll come in time.”

“Why can’t every woman adopt that mentality?”

“Every woman wasn’t built the same way. We all have different journeys. Is that what had you snapping on everyone today?”

Scoffing, I reply, “That’s just the tip of the iceberg.”

After we give our orders, Sharla turns her lips down and reaches up and rubs up and down my arm. “Sorry, Nyx.”

“It’s all good. Things will work out one way or another. Sometimes, I just want to get off the merry-go-round.”

“You can’t do that. You’ve got to keep riding.”

“Maybe I’m on the wrong mare.”